Yao walked across the small bridge, taking in the scent of the blooming spring flowers. After the difficult winter, spring had arrived in full force, and he loved the feeling of just walking through the lovely castle gardens and clearing his mind. The garden maze had large hedges to make it feel as though there wasn't a large castle or city bordering it, and Yao loved to stroll through it.
He turned the corner in the path, and looked at the gazebo in the center of the gardens. The servants had recently cleaned it out and brought out the outside furniture, so Berwald and Mikkel were sitting there having tea. Yao walked over to join them.
"Do you really think it will be so soon?" Yao heard Mikkel asking Berwald.
"Yes, I'm certain of it," Berwald replied, "Based on how quickly the hour hand appears to have moved since Lukas's death, I believe there will be a new King this summer."
"Forgive me for intruding," Yao said, getting them to notice he was there, "May I join you for tea?"
"Absolutely," Berwald agreed, "Please, do take a seat."
"Thank you," Yao said as he sat down, "I did just hear what you were saying about a new King, would you be willing to explain that to me?"
"Yes, you should probably know as well," Berwald sighed, "Tell me, do you remember what positions the hands of the Timepiece were at when Arthur became Queen?"
"Yes, I do," Yao answered, "Mine was at the 1, Arthur's was at the 12, and yours… it was between the 11 and 12, wasn't it?"
"It sure was," Mikkel continued, "And based on how quickly it has ticked on since you became Jack, Berwald believes his time will come this summer."
"It is coming then?" Yao asked, "Your death?"
"Yes," Berwald admitted.
The trio sat there in silence for a moment to let that sink in.
"We don't know about your own time, don't we, Mikkel?" Yao asked to break the silence.
"The timepiece won't show it to just anyone," Mikkel replied, "The Ace ledgers do say that a Queen with enough magic power would be able to make the timepiece show all four Royal clocks in numerical format. Arthur might be able to make that happen, but I'd rather not know. I'll let my death surprise me."
"I suspect your death may be close to mine," Berwald mused, "It only makes sense."
"Why do you think that?" Yao asked.
"I've always had the feeling that Matthew and Alfred were meant to become Royals together," Berwald elaborated, "It would be devastating if one of them became a Royal first, then died too soon for the other one to rule with their brother. It only makes sense for the Timepiece to have them both get their full Marks around the same time."
"Considering how new Arthur and I are to our Royal ranks, and your known approaching death, is it possible that one brother is a King and the other is an Ace?" Yao concluded.
"That is exactly what I believe will happen," Berwald confirmed.
"If ever a King had the perfect Ace, that pair would make it happen," Mikkel pointed out, "They are both so loyal to each other, so I doubt the Ace would spare any cost to protect their King, nor would the King risk misleading their Ace."
"Both boys are incredibly smart too," Berwald added, "Everything we have taught them over the years has stuck in their minds, and they will handle the pressures of ruling with ease."
"If anything, the only difference I see between the two is their demeanours," Yao observed, "Matthew is calm and humble, while Alfred is very energetic."
"That is where I can't make up my mind," Berwald explained, "On the one hand, Matthew would be a smart and gentle King, and Alfred would be a fiercely protective Ace. On the other hand, Alfred would be a King that can easily win the hearts of the people, while Matthew would excel as an Ace with his duelling prowess and wits."
"Well, I don't think considering Arthur would help make that decision," Mikkel added, "He is starting to fall for Alfred's flirting, and his poise and control would make an excellent match for Alfred's energy. However, Arthur and Matthew compliment each other very well too, and their intelligence and wit could easily take on the other Suits."
A guard approached the table, and spoke quietly to Mikkel for a moment. Sighing, Mikkel stood up from his chair.
"Looters by the market, I've been called out," Mikkel explained, "I will see you both later."
As Mikkel went off with the guard, Berwald took his chance to stand as well.
"I hope you don't mind, Yao," Berwald said, "I have paperwork in the office waiting for me."
"It's quite alright, Berwald," Yao said, "I'll stay here a little longer and finish my tea."
As Berwald left, Yao sat back in his chair and sipped on his tea, pondering on the conversation.
It was certainly an intriguing dilemma, deciding which twin would be better as a King or Ace. Yao certainly works well with both boys, and could easily use that to his advantage no matter which is King or Ace. Alfred was sometimes a little too energetic for Yao's taste, however, which is why he spends more time talking to the calmer twin.
Matthew made this situation quite interesting. Certainly he would make a calm and gentle King, but he doesn't have as much presence in a room as his brother does. He would make a very skilled Ace, especially with his ease of moving unseen, but his intelligence would almost seem wasted on the position of a soldier and assassin.
Having finished his tea, Yao left the cup on the table for the arriving servants to clean up, and he resumed his walk through the gardens. As he came around the corner, he found Matthew rushing along the path.
"Quick, Yao," he whispered, grabbing Yao's arm, "Hide with me!"
"What are we doing?" Yao asked quietly as they climbed into the bushes.
"Just wait and see," Matthew replied, "And keep quiet."
As soon as Matthew finished talking, Arthur stormed around the corner where he had come from, with Alfred on his coattails.
"Arthur, why do you run away every time I try to compliment you?" Alfred pleaded.
"How can you even say those things?" Arthur snapped back, turning to yell at Alfred, "I don't care what you're trying to get out of it, just stop trying to hit on me!"
"Artie, why can't you accept the fact that I think you're beautiful?" Alfred whined, "I try to show you my affections, and you keep changing the topic or pushing me away. Why can't you just tell me how you feel?"
"Because I'm not ready to figure that out, you idiot!"
The two took a moment to collect their breaths, and the enthusiasm was visibly dropping from Alfred's face.
"Woah," Matthew muttered, and Yao waited to see what else would happen.
"I'm sorry, Alfred," Arthur pleaded, "I was starting to warm up to you, but then I became Queen, and I am still adjusting to this new life. I'm not ready to figure out how I feel."
"I get it," Alfred said gloomly, turning and starting to walk away, "Let me know when you do make up your mind."
Once Alfred had turned the corner, Arthur fell to the ground and brought his hands to cover his face. Matthew stood up and left the bushes, and Yao followed him out. Arthur looked up to see them, and it was clear he was also troubled.
"I'm not sure if you've noticed yet," Matthew told Arthur, "but Alfred is getting tired of having his affections brushed off like it's nothing."
"Well, I don't know what to do," Arthur snapped back, "He has charm, I'll give him that. But he is the most annoying wanker on the planet, and it takes so much effort to not strangle him."
"When Alfred gives space, he gives space," Matthew warned, "The next move is yours, so you better make up your mind before Alfred tries to replace you in his mind."
As Matthew walked away to follow his brother, Arthur stood up and left in the opposite direction. Yao stayed where he was, taking in what had happened.
For one, Arthur actually had a sensitive side behind that rough exterior.
Secondly, the twins were scary when angry.
If the four of them did rule together, they'd have to deal with each other's emotional whims on a daily basis.
Could Spades really survive that?
Author's Note
At first, my outline had 50 chapters, which I divided into 4 Google Docs as I started writing, and this is the end of Part 1. And yes, the Part divides tie into specific story arcs, so we're about to move on into some more drama...